Ola Olukoyede, executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), regretted the widespread disregard for regulations and best practices and described it as a key supporter of corruption within the public sector in Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, during a visit to the National Science and Engineering Infrastructure (Naseni), led by the Executive Vice-Chair. Khalil HaliluOlukoyede stressed the urgent need for regulatory compliance to curb financial misconduct.
Olukoyede highlighted systemic problems, noting that public institutions and private entities often bypass identified procedures, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and corruption.
“If most of our MDAs lack anything, it is a matter of compliance. We don’t comply, this is a problem. Lack of compliance in the process of awarding contracts, administrative procedures, financial regulations, etc.
“Most institutions don’t comply, and that’s what leads to corruption and financial crime. When you don’t comply, it’s a violation. There was a violation at the time and it made room for anything. You’ll find that other people you’ve been waiting and watching now take advantage of this and can never create more evil, and you can never imagine evil.,” he said.
Olukoyede continues to praise Naseni’s leadership to launch proactive anti-corruption tools such as Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) developed in partnership with the EFCC. He stressed that real progress depends on the support of employees and the extent to which these frameworks are implemented.
“CRA is good, but CRA won’t bring about any changes unless people are ready to change and follow due process. I want to pay tribute to you for the modest achievements you have achieved during your stay in the office,” he added.
In response, Naseni Executive Vice Chairman Khalil Halilu praised the EFCC’s ongoing cooperation and support, noting that the agency invited the agency to EFCC In the early days of a term of evaluating and improving its internal operations.
“One of the early things I did when I took over the seats was inviting the EFCC to see our processes and procedures and how we can strengthen them further. So we’re just here to thank you for your relationship,” Harlilu got it.
